Apparatus for cleaning furnaces, retorts, and the like



Feb. 4, 1930. T. P. MORRISON 1,745,703

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING FURNACES, RETORTS, AND THE LIKE Original Filed Oct. 12, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Thai}? arr-4 5.9072,

Feb. 4, 1930. 'r. P. MORRISON 1,745,703

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING FURNACES, RETORTS, AND THE LIKE Original Filed Oct. 12, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 MW 5 a4 3 5/! II W N 9/1/0 5 3 3 M ii a 2 w I; fi I 70 W 4 I /7 r) l E Z 6 S, 2 6 u a 7/ 4 H M I I. & a m; 2 \Em W 7 .7 I .M/ l/ H 0 5 4 6 3 6 v 4 0 ,l. .o/zz v; 7 a i $9 fl M x FII M. al fo'zueq Feb. 4, 1930.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING FURNACES, RETORTS, AND THE LIKE Original Filed Oct. 12, 1926 T. P. MORRlSON 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A TTORNEY.

Patented Feb, 4, 193$ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE THOMAS P. MORRISON, OF BLACKWEIL, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE PER CENT TO ANNIE PARKS AND ONE -TWENTIETH TO H. K. HIGHSMITH APPARATUS FOR CLEANING FURNACES, RETOR'IS, AND THE LIKE Application filed October 12, 1926, Serial No. 141,187. Renewed October 2, 1929.

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning furnaces, retorts, and the like, and has for one of its objects to provide an apparatus of this character which will be simple in construction, comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and install, and more eflicient in operation than those which have been heretofore proposed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the character described which includes a plurality of power driven horizontally reciprocable cleaning tools or elements, which may be manipulated independently of one another or simultaneously, as desired, and which in addition to their horizontal longitudinal motion, are capable of being moved transversely and vertically, to the end that the cleaning members may be brought into engagement with all portions of the furnace or retort.

With the above or other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel details of construction, and combinations of parts more fully hereinafter disclosed, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which like reference characters designate like parts in all the views Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of one form of apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view, taken approximately on the plane indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1, looking down;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view, taken approximately on the plane indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a central vertical sectional view, taken approximately on the plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

As is well known in the art, the retorts or furnaces are usually constructed in banks or batteries, in front of which there is provided a track for guiding suitable cars or trucks which are employed in loading and unloading the retorts. The present apparatus is preferably mounted upon a truck 5, having wheels 6, for engaging the rails of "such a track, whereby the cleaner may be quickly and readily moved from one to another series of retorts in the battery, thereby making it possible to clean a large number of retorts with a single cleaning apparatus.

Mounted upon the truck 5 are the front pairs of uprights 7 and 8, the intermediate pairs of uprights 9 and 10, and the rear pairs of uprights 11 and 12. These uprights are connected together by suitable horizontal members 13, to constitute a rigid frame for supporting the moving members of the apparatus. The front uprights 7 and 8, and the intermediate uprights 9 and 10, are joined by a plurality of horizontal members 14 and 15, respectively, which carry suitable bearing blocks 16 and 17, in which are journalled the transverse shafts 18 and 19, carrying spur gears 20 and 21. The said shafts also have splined on their inner ends, the bevel gears 22 and 23, which are shiftable on the said shafts by means of hand levers 24 and 25 respectively.

J ournalled in suitable bearings 26 carried by the frame, is a power shaft 27, which may be driven from any suitable source of power (not shown) and which shaft is longitudinally shiftable in its bearings 26, by means of a hand lever 28. The said shaft 27 carries a pair of bevelled friction wheels 29 and 30, which are adapted to be brought alternately into engagement, through the axial movements of the said shaft, with a friction disc or wheel 31, carried by a jack shaft 32 journalled in bearings 33. The said jack shaft 32 carries at its other end a bevel gear 34, which meshes with a bevel gear 35, carried by a vertical shaft 36, also ournalled on the framework. The shaft 36 carries a plurality of bevel gears 37, which are so positioned as to be engaged and disendgaged t3 the bevel ears 22 and 23, above escribe when the fitter are moved on their respective shafts 18 and 19, by means of the levers 24 and 25, as will be readily understood.

Slidably mounted between the front pairs of uprights 7 and 8, are the vertically movable cages 40 and 41, which may be moved up and down on the guides 42 and 43 by the hand levers 44 and 45 respectively. The said levers 44 and 45 are respectively pivoted intermediate their ends at 44 and 45' to the uprights 9 and 10, while their forward ends are pivotally connected, as at 44" and 45" to the cages 40 and 41 respectively. The levers 44 and 45 are provided with suitable catches or detents and 71, adapted to engage the toothed bars 72 and 73 carried by the uprights 11 and 12, for maintaining the levers and cages in various adjusted positions, as will be readily understood. In like manner, the rear pairs of uprights 11 and 12 are provided with the vertically slidable cages 46 and 47, movable in guidewa'ys 48 and 49 by levers 50 and 51 respectively. The levers 50 and 51 are respectively pivoted intermediate their ends, at 50 and 51 to the upright members 74 and of the framework,and the forward ends of the said levers are pivotally connected, as at 50" and 51" respectively, to the cages 46 and 47. The levers 50 and 51 carry catches or detents 76 and 77, adapted to engage the toothed bars 78 and 79, mounted upon the frame uprights and 81. The cages 46 and 47 are provided with the horizontal rods or bars 52 and 53, which serve as supports for the rear ends of the tool carrying members 54 and 55. These said members, as will be clear from Figs. 1 and 3, are of inverted channel shape in cross section, and the under surface of the webs thereof are provided with rack teeth 56 and 57, which mesh with the teeth of the spur gears 20 and 21.

Any of the well known forms of furnace or retort cleaning tools may be employed with this machine, and for the pur ose of illustration only, there is shown in i s. 2 and 3 a tool 58 of the shovel or chise type, secured to the members-54 and 55 by any suitable means 59. It will be understood, however, that any other type of tool desired, may be substituted for the one illustrated, since the particular kind of tool employed forms no part of the present invention.

At the right of Fig. 1, there is shown between the uprights of the cage 47, an inner cage 60, through which the elements 55 pass. This said inner cage 60 which is somewhat narrower than the cage 47, is slidable on tool supporting members 53 and is provided with a handle member 61, by means of which it may be moved back and forth laterally to produce'transverse motion of the cleaning tools to brin them into engagement with all portions of t e retort surfaces. The uprights of the cage 60 are interconnected by transverse members 60, as will be clear from Figs. 1 and 3. Suflicient play is provided between the teeth 57 of the tool carrying elements 55, and those of the gears 21,to allowthe said elements to be inclined slightly from the perpendicular of the gear axis.

The forward cages 40 and 41 are provided with pairs of .pivoted arms 62 and 63, which carry at their free ends revolubly mounted weighted rollers 64 and 65, which bear upon the elements 54 and 55, as shown in Figs. 2

and 3, and maintain their teeth 56 and 57 in mesh with those of the gears 20 and 21.

In use, the truck 5 carrying the cleaning apparatus, is moved along the charging track to a position in front of the bank of retorts or furnaces to be cleaned, and power is supplied to the shaft 27 from the source, not shown. By manipulating the lever 28, .to bring one or the other of the friction wheels 29 or 30 into contact with the disc 31, the power is transmitted to the shaft 32, and through gears 34 and 35 to shaft 36 and gears 37. By manipulating one or more 01 the levers 24 or 25 to bring their respective gears 22 and 23 into mesh with the gears 37, the power will be transmitted to the shafts 18 and 19, and gears 20 and 21, the rotation of which in the proper direction will move their respective tool carrying elements 54 and 55, and the tools 58 carried thereby into the retorts. The said tools may be elevated or depressed to bring them into engagement with the top and bottom walls of the retorts, by raising and lowering the various cages 40, 41, 46 and 47 by means of their levers 44, 45, 50 and 51; and the elements 55 may in addition be shifted laterally through transverse movements of the auxiliary cage 60, as above explained. By shifting the lever 28, the direction of motion may be readily reversed, and the elements 54 and 55, and their tools 58 withdrawn from the retorts.

While one form of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction, as well as the precise arrangement of parts, without departing from the spirit of the invention, and therefore it is not wished to be limited to the above disclosure, except as may be required by the claims.

hat is claimed is 1. In an apparatus of the class described, a plurality of longitudinally reciprocable tool carrying elements; means for'reciprocating said elements within a chamber to perform a cleaning operation therein; and means operable during the reciprocating movements of said elements for shifting them angularly to change the plane of their reciprocation.

2. In an a paratus of the class described, a plurality o longitudinally reciprocable tool carrying elements; driving wheels engaging said elements for reciprocating them within a chamber to perform a cleaning operation therein; and means operable during t e reciprocating movements of said elements for shifting them angularly to change the plane of their reci rocation, said elements pivoting upon said w eels.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame; a plurality of tool carrying elements slidably mounted in said frame; means for moving said elements longitudinally into and out of a chamber to be claimed; a verticall slidable ca e mounted in said frame, through which said elements pass, adapted to vary their inclination in a vertical plane; and a transversely movable auxiliary cage through which said elements also pass, adapted to shift them laterally.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame; a plurality of tool carrying elements slidably mounted in said frame; means including a plurality of shafts and driving wheels carried thereby, for moving said elements longitudinally 1nto and out of a chamber to be cleaned; means for inclining said elements in a vertical plane; and means for maintainin said elements in engagement with said w eels.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame; a pluralit of tool carrying elements provided with rac teeth, slidably mounted in said frame; means including a plurality of shafts and gears carried thereby and engaging said rack teeth, for moving said ele- 8. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame; a plurality of tool carrying elements slidably mounted in said frame; a plurality of transverse shafts rovided with drivin means enga 'ng sai elements; a vertica driving sha means whereby each of said transverse shafts may be independently connected to and disconnected from said vertical shaft; and reversible friction gearing for transmitting power to said vertical shaft.

In testimon whereof I aflix my signature.

HOMAS P. MORRISON.

ments longitudinally into and out of a chamber to be c eaned and gravity actuated means for maintainin said elements with their teeth in mesh with those of said gears.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a frame; a plurality of tool carrying elements provided with rack teeth, slidably mounted in said frame; means including a plurality of shafts and gears carried thereby and engaging said ra-ck teeth, for moving said elements longitudinally into and out of a chamber to be cleaned; and rollers swingingly mounted on said frame, and resting on said elements to maintain their teeth in mesh with those of said gears.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, I

a frame; a plurality of tool carrying elements provided with me teeth, slidably mounted in said frame; means includin a. plurality of shafts and gears carried there y and engaging said rack teeth, for movin said element's longitudinally into and out o a chamber to be cleaned; a vertically slidable cage mounted in said frame, engaging the rear portions of said elements to bodily incline them in a vertical plane a second vertically slidable cage mounted in said frame; and rollers carried by said last named cage, engaging said elements to maintain their teeth in mesh with those of said gears. 

